Governing Bodies
CORONAVIRUS FEARS STOP ANTI-DOPING TESTING IN CHINA
BY ALI IVESON
The Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) has called a temporary halt to testing because of the coronavirus outbreak – less that six months out from this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Given the proximity to the Games, the International Testing Agency (ITA) has warned that it is “indeed likely that this will have an impact on the testing missions in China and solutions will have to be found,” reported Agence France-Presse. (AFP)
CHINADA “will gradually resume testing as soon as the situation improves,” and the ITA added that “private providers” could be used to conduct tests.
“The situation is one of caution so as not to endanger athletes or test officials and while recognising the importance of anti-doping activities, the priorities are to maintain public health for all,” it said.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is aware
of the situation and monitoring it.
“We are assisting CHINADA as it implements a plan that will maintain the integrity of the anti-doping program in China,” a WADA spokesman told AFP.
The zika virus and SARS outbreak mean that this is “not the first time that such an outbreak has occurred,” WADA added.
It is up to agencies to “ensure that the system is maintained while also operating in line with directives from health, law enforcement and border protection authorities”.
There have now been more than 20,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in China, with the death toll in the country now up to 425.
The virus has spread to more than 20 other countries and the World Health Organization has declared a global emergency, but said today that it does not yet constitute a pandemic.
Dozens of sporting events due to be held in China have either been cancelled or moved as a result of the crisis.
The most high-profile is the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, scheduled for March of this year but now postponed until 2021.
China won 70 Olympic medals – 26 of them gold – at Rio 2016 to finish third the medals table.
It left Brazil with a total of 239 Paralympic medals – 107 of them gold – and topped the medals table.
The biggest anti-doping controversy surrounding a Chinese athlete at present is that of Sun Yang, who faces up to an eight-year ban after one of his entourage smashed a blood vial with a hammer during an attempted drugs test.
WADA appealed an International Swimming Federation decision to only issue him with a warning and the case is in the hands of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
-insidethegames
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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